With our Irish friends gearing up alongside their local colleagues (there's a little Irish in all of us) to celebrate St Patrick's Day - an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland next week Wednesday, March 17, we share with you a few delicious dishes influenced by Guinness, an icon and familiar symbol of Ireland which was first prepared by Arthur Guinness in 1759. While the dark ruby red stout hailing from Dublin is a pub favourite it pours equally well into a variety of recipes ranging from a traditional beef stew to unsuspecting items like chocolate cake. Guinness is also well suited for marinades and deglazing and in gravies for beef and seafood.

Slainte Chugat!

Guinness Potato Salad

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes

4 slices bacon

1 tablespoon onions, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon sugar

8 fluid ounces Guinness

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

Boil potatoes in medium-size saucepan until just tender.

Peel and slice.

Fry bacon until crisp.

Break into small pieces and mix with onion, celery, and salt; set aside.

Stir melted butter and flour in a small saucepan until blended.

Add mustard and sugar.

Slowly stir in Guinness and hot pepper sauce.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Pour over potatoes.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Toss lightly and let stand 1 hour.

Add bacon mixture; toss gently and serve.

1 hour 45 minutes (1 hr 10 min prep, 35 min cooking)

4-6 servings

Guinness Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate-Honey Sauce

Ingredients:

12 ounces Guinness

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

6 egg yolks

Method:

Dark Chocolate-Honey Sauce

In a large saucepan, simmer the Guinness until reduced by 3/4 in volume, about 8 minutes. Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium, heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean halves. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, to the hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Remove from refrigerator and add the Guinness reduction, whisking until well blended. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Dark Chocolate-Honey Sauce:

2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup honey

20 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, scald cream and honey medium heat. Remove from the heat. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the hot cream, let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. Let stand until cool but still pourable. Serve over Guinness ice cream.

Yield: 1 quart

Irish Tenderloin of Beef

This makes a great dinner to celebrate the Day of the Irish. It calls for beef tenderloin steaks but you can use eye of round steaks that are cut about 1 inch to 1-1/2 inch thick and pound them well to make them tender.

Ingredients:

6 ounces beef tenderloin steaks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoon cracked green peppercorns

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 tablespoon shallots, chopped ( you can use green onions)

1/2 tablespoon of garlic, minced

1/4 cup Guinness

3 tablespoons bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup demi-glace (see note below)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1-1/2 tablespoons butter

Method:

Sprinkle the tenderloin steaks with salt and pepper.

Place a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, on the stove and heat the pan.

Place the olive oil in the pan and add the shallots or green onions and garlic.

Saute until tender, about two minutes.

Remove the shallots and garlic from the pan and set aside.

Place steaks in the pan and saute on both sides until done to desired degree of doneness.

Remove from the skillet and place on a warmed plate and set aside.

Pour the Guinness in the pan and deglaze by stirring up all the brown bits.

Put the shallots or onions and garlic back into the skillet and add the bacon and the demi-glace.

Bring to a simmer and let the mixture reduce by about 1/4th.

Add the parsley and melt the butter in.

Pour over the steaks and serve.

NOTE: Demi-glace is a rich brown broth or stock that is really hard to make. You can get cans of it in gourmet sections of the grocery store.

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